Live Brine Shrimp as food

[BfishLpond78]

Has anyone ever used brine shrimp for a treat for their fishies? If so where do you get them, i keep seeing things on hatcheries for them, do they work? Just looking for some information on them.

 

[Aspencer]

I have one that should arrive today or tomorrow...I will let you know how it works out.

 

[BfishLpond78]

Awesome, thanks alot. I would like to treat my fish to good food and the thrill of the hunt ya know.

 

[eco23]

Years ago, I used to feed my black ghost knife brine shrimp. I don't remember much other than it smelled awful. I just use frozen bloodworms as a snack for my community fish now.

 

[Aspencer]

Awesome, thanks alot. I would like to treat my fish to good food and the thrill of the hunt ya know.

That was my thought exactly...a fun activity

 

[BfishLpond78]

Bad smell huh? Is that from using a hatchery or whatever it is...???

 

[eco23]

Bad smell huh? Is that from using a hatchery or whatever it is...???

I have no idea. The lfs just had a huge tank full of them, and I remember every time I'd come home and open the bag it smelled like low tide at some god awful beach, lol.

 

[BfishLpond78]

Ya that doesn't sound like a swell time. Another question im guessing they just scoop a bunch into a bag, how much do you give them to eat? How often can you feed them that?

 

[BfishLpond78]

Aspencer, any luck with the brine shrimp?

 

[jetajockey]

i hatch baby brine shrimp daily for my fry and small fish. The baby brine shrimp is a great fry food, but as they get older they lose alot of their nutritional value. I've never used adult brine shrimp live, i have used frozen ones though and hte fish liked them.

 

[Fruitbat]

As far as raising your own live brine shrimp...it can be done but it takes a while to grow the shrimp from their naupilus (hatchling) stage to a size where they're really usable as fish food. Freshly-hatched brine shrimp nauplii do make reasonably decent food for fry (baby fish)...especially those of egg-layers.

It's generally a lot more economical to buy live brine shrimp in small amounts from a local fish store if you have one that offers them for sale. You don't have to feed them all at one sitting...you can keep the little beasties alive for a couple of days by running an airstone in the bag they came in so that you can spread the feedings out. Frozen brine shrimp work reasonably well...though you don't get that 'thrill of the chase' when you use them.

-Joe

 

[BfishLpond78]

What is your method of hatching them, i just got a lil vial of them yesterday and looked online at various ways of doing it. Just wanted to get another option...

 

[BfishLpond78]

Fruitbat, ya no place near me in CT sells them so I wanted to give it a try myself, i guess im looking for that "thrill of the chase" and a little side project.

 

[jetajockey]

What is your method of hatching them, i just got a lil vial of them yesterday and looked online at various ways of doing it. Just wanted to get another option...

I use a very simple method. I fill a 2liter bottle up to about 3/4 with tank water, add 1/8 tsp brine shrimp eggs and 2 tablespoons baking soda. Stick airline tubing into the bottle down to the bottom and then harvest the shrimp approx 24 hours later.

 

[Aspencer]

Aspencer, any luck with the brine shrimp?

I just received my in tank brine shrimp hatchery. It is huge and I bought to go in my 10g. It is too big so I am waiting for my 20g but even so, the unit is almost 12 inches high and needs an air pump. I may not use it. I am now looking at a small hatchery, not in the tank one. The reason I got the original one was that it was advertized that the newly hatched brine shimp would swim out on their own.

 

[BfishLpond78]

Oh that stinks, hope it wasn't expensive. Yea i just got one of those small vials in the mail. Can you feed your regular fish brine shrimp, not just babys and fry? I would like to give them some live food if possible.

 

[BfishLpond78]

Another question, I have one of those breeder nets, would i be able to put the brine eggs in there and hatch them in my regular tank? Or would that be a bad idea?

 

[jetajockey]

Another question, I have one of those breeder nets, would i be able to put the brine eggs in there and hatch them in my regular tank? Or would that be a bad idea?

No, you can't. They need to stay suspended in the water column, plus the water they are in needs to be a very high pH in order for them to hatch out.

 

[Copachick]

We get brine shrimp once in awhile for both of my tanks of fish. We buy a cup full like once a week from the fish store, which usually feeds all the fish for two days. They love them. And its fun to watch them swim around after them and eat them. Its good to mix up their diet

 

[Ickletas]

I got one of my kids a "Sea-Monkey" kit, so I just pinch a few of those once a week